[nagdu] What do you do when you're angry with your dog?

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Mon Mar 22 04:41:52 UTC 2010


Rox,

The more I've practiced the clicker training and really thinking through
operant conditioning with Mitzi, the more it has changed the way I
internalize my expectations of her and responses to her nonsense.  Same with
Daisy, who has required much creativity on my part in devising training
solutions to behavioral problems.  No getting lazy for me, with those two on
my case.  /grin/

Having a puppy poodle in a small apartment was quite overwhelming at times,
then taking her out to socialize and learn because she was just so
constantly busy!  Her mind was as busy as the rest of her, so she could
drive me to distraction -- and exhaustion pretty quickly.  I used positive
reinforcement with horses and other animals, but once you're done training
your horse, you give it a bucket of oats, turn it loose in the pasture (or
whatever) and go home...  Where it is not in the house to turn over the
garbage, try to steal your dinner while you're picking up the garbage,
turning over the garbage again because you're talking on the phone...  Well,
every day with Mitzi wasn't that extreme, but a few seemed like it!  /lol/
Then, of course, she would want to play ball again in the apartment.

So it took some getting used to having to be 24/7 trainer.  One is more
motivated to figure how to deal with behavioral issues when success will
mean only putting the recycling in the bin once...  Mitzi loved the
recycling!  She really only saved up the nasty kitchen garbage for when I
was talking on the phone...  A grave sin on my part.  /smile/

Now, of course, Mitzi has outgrown her neet for constant trouble, and we
just sort of have our schtick that we do without thinking.  She's got her
stepdad well trained, too.  /smile/  We put all food items out of poodle
range, put all trash cans out of hound range, etc., etc.  Except for when we
forget, then whoever finds the mess just sighs and cleans it up and says, "I
hope she didn't make herself sick."

Amazing what you can get used to when you have a dog.  /lol/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of The Pawpower Pack
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 9:00 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] What do you do when you're angry with your dog?

I find that since I've become a clicker trainer, much of my personal  
anger, feelings of frustration and resentment toward my dog and some  
of her behaviors has lessoned dramatically.

I now know that if my dog engages in A behavior when B happens, then C  
will be the result.
As an example, I have left a sandwich on a plate and have not worked  
enough with my dog on "leave it" and then I leave the room without  
cueing my dog to either follow me or to engage in a fluent  
incompatible behavior, that the result may be that she eats my  
sandwich.  The fault lays with me alone.  My dog isn't testing me, or  
flouting my authority, or trying to exert her dominance.  She is being  
a dog and I have set up a situation where her dog instincts are most  
likely going to kick in.

I find that clicker training helps me to be much more logical and  
methodical about behavior, it's causes and results and my part in it.

This is not to say that I never get angry or frustrated, because I  
do.  However when it happens I seem to be a bit more clear headed  
about it and I have stopped taking dog behavior so personally.

I do find that a "time out" in the crate is good for me sometimes, or  
some quick clicker work to refocus us if the crate isn't an option.

Really though, stuff happens, dogs do things we wish they wouldn't but  
at the end of the day, the amazing work they do and the constancy they  
show, outweighs any behaviors I'd may not like.  Things are just  
things and they can be replaced-- living through Katrina and the  
destruction of everything I've held dear has taught me that we can  
make do without our stuff, but that it's almost impossible for me to  
make do without my dog.
I try to use my brain, set my dog up for success, spend lots of time  
on leave it training, and just let everything else go.


Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"It's wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary as  
sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs." -- Christopher Moore
pawpower4me at gmail.com

Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss

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